The King of Bahrain met Israeli Rabbi and ‘recommended’ that the recent blacklisting of Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, as a “terrorist organization” by the Gulf Cooperation Council be taken up by the Arab League as well, Israeli daily, Jerusalem Post reported.

Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa received Rabbi Marc Schneier, and president of the Foundation of Ethnic Understanding based in New York in the royal palace in Manama in order to discuss “concerns in the Middle East,” JP reported.

The six-member GCC formally blacklisted Hezbollah as a “terrorist organization” on Wednesday.

During Scheier’s meeting with Khalifa, the king noted that there were one or two countries among the GCC who had wanted to distinguish between Hezbollah’s military wing and its political wing, although this was rejected, the Israeli paper said.

According to Schneier, who has met with Khalifa on two other occasions, the king told him “he was advocating for the struggle against Hezbollah to be expanded as widely as possible in the Arab world, stating that the Arab League and its 22 members should take up this mantle and label the group as terrorists.”

“Iran is not only an obstacle but an opportunity for peace between Israel and Arab nations,” Schneier told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday after his meeting on Wednesday with Khalifa.

“Both Israel and the Gulf states share a common enemy, so it’s the makings of a natural alliance, in terms of joining forces against the evil of terrorism, religious extremism and fanaticism,” the Israeli Rabbi said.

“It’s a real opportunity and a silver lining in the dark cloud of terrorism. The Gulf states recognize Israel as an ally against Iran, and its ability to stabilize the region and support moderate Arab countries, so this could be a game changer in the geopolitical climate of the Middle East.”

Schneier added that Khalifa has also said during their meeting that in his opinion “it is just a matter of time before some Arab countries begin opening diplomatic ties” with the Zionist entity.